Criminal Justice Reform

Summary:

I. End the War on Drugs

II. A Fairer Justice System

III. End the Privatization of Prisons

IV. Restore Rights

V. Jobs for Those With a Criminal Record

VI. Restore Citizen-led Grand Juries

I. End The War On Drugs:

The War on Drugs, launched by President Nixon in 1971, has been a monumental failure, costing American taxpayers $75 billion annually while failing to address the root causes of addiction. Despite these efforts, overdose deaths are at an all-time high, drug-related crime persists, and only 10% of illicit drugs are seized, leaving the black market largely intact. Instead of reducing drug use, the War on Drugs has fueled mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities and exacerbating poverty. With 70% of incarcerated individuals having drug-related offenses on their record, the United States now has the largest prison population per capita in the world. This punitive approach has done little to curb addiction and has perpetuated systemic inequities while ignoring more effective solutions.

The United States should consider a shift away from punitive drug laws toward a health-centered approach, taking cues from successful models abroad. Countries like Portugal and Switzerland have demonstrated that decriminalization and robust harm-reduction strategies can significantly reduce addiction, overdose deaths, and drug-related illnesses. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use and invested heavily in prevention and treatment. Since then, the country has seen dramatic improvements in public health outcomes without a major increase in drug use. Similarly, Switzerland's harm reduction programs—such as supervised consumption sites and access to medical support—have stabilized lives and reduced crime.

These examples show that treating substance use as a public health issue, rather than a criminal one, is far more effective. Education and early intervention have proven to be stronger tools against addiction than incarceration. By redirecting a fraction of the $75 billion spent annually on the War on Drugs into education, healthcare, and job programs, the United States could lower addiction rates, encourage people to seek help without fear, and ultimately save lives.

Additionally, solving drug addiction could return up to $750 billion annually to the U.S. economy through reduced healthcare costs, decreased crime, and increased productivity. Addressing addiction with understanding and resources, rather than fear and punishment, would alleviate the harms of unregulated drugs, including illness, death, and violence. The hypocrisy of prosecuting the War on Drugs while enabling the opioid crisis through collusion with pharmaceutical companies underscores the urgent need for reform. The U.S. must learn from successful international models and focus on health, fairness, and job placement rather than outdated punitive policies.

Marijuana, specifically, is an interesting case of how Big Pharma has suppressed its legality because it is so effective medically. 

Marijuana remains in a legal gray area because, while many states have legalized it for medical and recreational use, it is still classified as a Schedule I substance under federal law—treated as dangerous and medically useless as methamphetamine. This contradictory status harms millions of Americans. Veterans, patients with chronic illnesses, and workers in professions requiring periodic drug testing, like public sector and blue-collar workers, often cannot access marijuana without risking their jobs. In states where marijuana remains illegal, individuals continue to face arrests and criminal records for non-violent offenses, which create lasting barriers to employment, housing, and education. Businesses operating in legal states are denied access to banking, interstate commerce, and tax deductions, while federal law perpetuates the stigma and inequities surrounding marijuana use. The current ambiguous patchwork of laws leaves many Americans more vulnerable to criminal troubles than if Marijuana was clearly outright illegal. Marijuana needs to be fully legalized for adults in all states and at the federal level to end this unjust halfway point. Moreover, all non-violent marijuana-related offenses must be expunged immediately to rectify the harm caused by decades of prohibition and inequitable enforcement. 

II. A Fairer Justice System:

The American criminal justice system urgently needs reform to address the deep racial and economic disparities that have led to the overrepresentation of black, brown, and low-income individuals behind bars. Decades of harsh sentencing laws—like mandatory minimums and "three strikes" policies—have disproportionately affected these communities, often locking people away for nonviolent offenses with little regard for rehabilitation or fairness. It's time to replace these outdated laws with smarter, more equitable sentencing practices that prioritize rehabilitation over excessive punishment. Likewise, the cash bail system punishes poverty by allowing wealthier defendants to walk free while those with fewer resources remain incarcerated pretrial, often losing jobs, housing, and custody of their children in the process. We need a justice system that upholds fairness, not one that criminalizes poverty that the system itself helps create.

III. End the Privatization of Prisons:

The privatization of prisons has turned incarceration into a business, where profit is tied to keeping more people behind bars for longer periods of time. This creates a dangerous incentive to prioritize shareholder returns over rehabilitation, safety, or justice. Private prisons often cut corners on staffing, healthcare, and educational or reentry programs—leaving incarcerated individuals without the support they need to successfully reintegrate into society. As a result, people released from private facilities are more likely to return to prison, fueling higher recidivism rates and continued cycles of incarceration. We need to end the use of for-profit prisons and invest in a justice system that focuses on rehabilitation, fairness, and public safety—not corporate profit.

IV. Restoring Rights:

When petitioning for signatures, I often meet the kindest, coolest people who would love to sign and participate in democracy but can’t because of a prior felony. It breaks my heart, because they’re often some of the nicest, most humble individuals I encounter—people who have served their time and are working hard to build better lives. Yet our system continues to punish them long after their sentence ends, denying them one of our most basic rights: the right to vote. Restoring voting rights should be a straightforward process—one that honors each person’s dignity and capacity for growth. If we truly believe in rehabilitation and second chances, we must welcome returning citizens back into civic life with trust in their dignity and potential. 

V. Jobs for Those With a Criminal Record:

I want to create a nonprofit organization that leverages expertise from both the public and private sectors to provide employment opportunities for individuals with past legal involvement. Right now, there are no meaningful options for many of these individuals to return to good jobs—other than obtaining a governor's pardon, which can take years to get, if at all. This creates a significant barrier to reentry, leaving many qualified individuals without the opportunity to support themselves and their families.

The organization would establish a board comprised of retired judges, active and retired lawyers, and industry leaders from the private sector. This board would convene periodically to review applications from individuals who have secured a job offer but are navigating the background check process. Applicants would submit evidence of their job offer, and the board would assess the risk associated with their prior convictions in relation to the specific role they are being considered for. The board would issue a certification stating that, in its assessment, the individual does not pose a significant risk to the employer based on their past criminal history and the nature of the job.

This certification would serve as an important tool in addressing the challenges of current private-sector hiring practices, which often take a binary approach to criminal history. Many qualified individuals are automatically excluded from consideration due to a blemish on their record, even when they represent no applicable risk to the company or its operations. By providing a nuanced assessment, this program would help individuals rebuild their lives while contributing to the workforce and economy.

VI. Restore Citizen-led Grand Juries:

I am proud to serve as a member of Virginia Beach’s newly formed 12-member citizen-led grand jury, and we are actively working to restore this vital right to the people.

Grand juries are groups of ordinary citizens empowered to decide whether there is enough evidence to bring criminal charges. Historically, they were powerful, independent bodies initiated by the people—not controlled by the government. In colonial America and the early republic, grand juries could issue presentments on their own, investigating public officials and rooting out corruption without waiting for a prosecutor's lead. Over time, however, this independence eroded. Prosecutors and judges gradually took control of the process, reducing grand juries to rubber stamps rather than tools of citizen oversight.

We must restore the grand jury to its original purpose: A democratic check on government power—a fourth branch of democracy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I consider that trial by jury as the only anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” This isn’t just philosophy—it has legal precedent. The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right to a grand jury indictment, and historically included presentments initiated by citizens themselves. In United States v. Williams (1992), the Supreme Court reaffirmed that grand juries are “not part of any branch of the institutional Government,” but rather serve as “a buffer or referee between the Government and the people.”

Reviving citizen-led grand juries is urgently needed to combat corruption and restore accountability. From suspicious deaths in police custody to unanswered questions surrounding high-profile cases like Jeffrey Epstein’s network, to the murder of JFK, we need mechanisms for the people—not just officials—to demand transparency and justice. It’s time to reclaim the grand jury for what it was always meant to be: a tool of the people, by the people, for the people.

    ***  Visit https://restoregrandjuryrights.org to see the other cities doing this, access a wealth of supporting literature, and learn how you can be a part of this national movement.  ***